But Chris Woodhead, the former chief inspector of schools, said the Politeia report reflected growing anxiety over teaching standards.

Writing in the same study, he said teachers were now expected to be more focused on "the challenges of social diversity than the excitement of teaching an academic subject".

"These days student teachers and aspirant headteachers are lobotomised into an unthinking acceptance of the Government's plans," he said. "Who would want to be a member of this non-profession?

"We remain committed to the comprehensive ideal and continue to believe that a teacher should want to teach and be able to teach children of all abilities. This is nonsense. Some teachers are gifted in the teaching of academic children; others are brilliant with, for example, the emotionally and behaviourally disturbed."

In today's study, Politeia compared teaching standards in England with those in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the US and New Zealand.

At the moment, students attempting to work in primary schools need at least a C grade GCSE in English and mathematics, on top of a degree, before being allowed onto postgraduate training courses.

But the report said other countries demanded "the full range of subjects" to the equivalent of A-level standard before students were given more intensive training places.

Politeia said the bar had to be raised "to attract into teaching the most academically and professionally able from each generation".

Researchers also claimed that between 30 and 50 per cent of trainees in England quit the classroom within three years of training, the highest in the countries involved.

In a further development, the study said England had the "most controlled and centrally managed profession".

"In no other country is a teacher's day to day work circumscribed by government or bureaucrats", it said.

It came as separate figures from the Government's Training and Development Agency for Schools, which runs teacher training, found 95 per cent of primary school trainee teachers and 89 per cent of those training to work in secondaries had a 2:2 or better.

Graham Holley, chief executive, said: "The large volume and high quality of candidates with good degrees entering the teaching profession continues to grow every year, which can only be good for pupils."